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Welder

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Welder Career Details

Welders, often known as welder fabricators, cut, shape and join materials to make products and components in a wide variety of industries including construction, shipbuilding, engineering, transport, power, automotive, aerospace, and offshore oil and gas. They also work in these industries carrying out repair and maintenance of equipment and machinery.

Although welders primarily work with metals and alloys, they can also cut and join composite materials.

Welders use a range of welding and cutting techniques in their role. Some common methods include:

oxyacetylene – technique using a mixture of oxygen and acetylene
MIG (metal inert gas) / MMA (manual metal arc) – also known as arc welding, is basic hand welding/cutting using electric arc equipment and a welding rod
TIG (tungsten inert gas) – welding with nitrogen or carbon dioxide, in a tightly controlled manner, using the inert gas to shield the welding process and protect the strength of the metals being joined
laser welding – using laser tools to produce very precise cuts/joins
ultrasonic welding – using high frequency sound waves to melt composites or thermoplastic components, often found in automated assembly processes.

Typical tasks include:

selecting, laying out and positioning materials to be cut or joined paying close attention to engineering drawings, templates and specifications
using the appropriate methods outlined above to produce sections or make repairs
inspecting and testing cuts, joins and tolerances using callipers, micrometers and other precision measuring instruments
operating mechanised welding equipment, usually on high volume production lines.

Welders would not be expected to be proficient in every type of weld as different methods suit different industries and companies.

Working Environment

Welders normally work 37 to 40 hours a week. Shiftwork is common and overtime may be necessary to meet deadlines.

Many welders work in factory workshops, however, some working conditions may be cramped, for example, in the bottom of a ship’s hull. Outdoor work may be required if welding sections of pipeline or process plant.

Protective clothing including head-shield, overalls, apron and gloves are worn. In some situations they might need to use specialist safety equipment, for example breathing apparatus for underwater work, or safety harnesses if working at heights.

Welder Related Skills

To be a welder you should:

have good hand-to-eye coordination
be able to work very accurately and have good concentration levels
have the ability to work without direct supervision
have excellent technical knowledge and awareness of material properties under different conditions
be able to understand technical plans and specifications
have good near vision
have good numeracy skills to calculate tolerances and measurements
be aware of safe working practices.

Welder Career Opportunities

There are opportunities to work in a wide range of industries such as civil engineering, engineering construction, agricultural engineering, shipbuilding, vehicle manufacture and repair, as well as the opportunity to work abroad on overseas construction projects.

In companies employing teams of welders, promotion may be possible to foreman/woman and supervisor, or to fabrication workshop manager. Some welders move into inspection, quality control and non-destructive testing. See profile for Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) Technician.

Further Career Information

If you would like to know more about a career as an Welder related facts, statistics, articles and websites.

Career Steps

Not quite sure about a career as a Welder? Try our step-by-step career guide to reaching your chosen career.

Career Courses

Not quite qualified to be a Welder? Take a look at Training Welder courses, Adult learning Welder courses, our course browses or use our search form and find courses which will help you on your chosen career path.

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